Regional frequency variation of revascularization procedures for carotid stenosis in Germany: Secondary data analysis of DRG data from 2012 to 2014.

BACKGROUND: For Germany, regional variation of procedure rates of carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and carotid artery stenting (CAS) performed for carotid stenosis have so far not been analyzed at a national level. The aim of this study was to assess small area estimates of procedure rates among German regions, and to identify regional characteristics, which are associated with the regional frequency of procedures. METHODS: German diagnosis-related groups (DRG) statistics (2012-2014) were analyzed. Inclusion and exclusion criteria for procedural codes were set according to German quality assurance measures in combination with the diagnosis of carotid stenosis (I65.2). Rates of CEA and CAS were indirectly standardized for sex and age. RESULTS: In total, 88,182 procedures were performed (73,042 CEA; 15,367 CAS). The overall procedure rate varied between 13.2 per 100,000 (Augsburg) and 89.2 per 100,000 (Wilhelmshaven). Spatial analysis revealed that regional distribution was significantly clustered. CONCLUSION: The rates of CEA, and especially of CAS showed high regional variation. The spatial distribution was significantly clustered. In addition to the regional prevalence of diabetes mellitus, smoking and obesity, socioeconomic factors, such as income and debts were correlated with the overall frequency of CEA and CAS. No significant association was found between indicators of health infrastructure (e. g. density of hospital beds, vascular surgeons and angiologists) and the overall procedure rate.

[Operative treatment of diabetics with vascular complications : Secondary data analysis of diagnosis-related groups statistics from 2005 to 2014 in Germany]. / Operative Versorgung von Diabetikern mit vaskulären Komplikationen : Sekundärdatenanalyse der DRG-Statistik von 2005 bis 2014 in Deutschland.

BACKGROUND: In Germany approximately 40,000 amputations per year are performed on patients with diabetes mellitus, often with accompanying vascular complications. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to present the various degrees of severity of the vascular complications and the temporal changes of the treatment options in diabetics with vascular complications in Germany. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The microdata of the diagnosis-related groups (DRG) statistics of the Federal Statistical Office were analyzed over the period from 2005 to 2014. All cases were included in which the main or secondary diagnosis of diabetes mellitus with concurrent vascular complications (diabetic angiopathy and peripheral arterial disease) was encrypted. RESULTS: The median age of the 1,811,422 cases was 73 years and 62% were male. While the total number of amputations remained stable over time, there was a 41% reduction in knee-preserving and a 31% reduction in non-knee preserving major amputations with an 18% increase in minor amputations. Revascularization increased by 33% from 36 procedures in 2005 to 48 procedures per 100,000 inhabitants. The increase in revascularization was evident in the area of endovascular therapy alone where there was an increase of 78%. CONCLUSION: Due to the significant increase in endovascular revascularization measures, there was a significant increase in the proportion of diabetes patients with vascular pathologies in whom revascularization was carried out. As a result, improved limb preservation was achieved despite equally high amputation rates due to increasing minor amputation rates.

Nationwide analysis of risk factors for in-hospital mortality in patients undergoing abdominal aortic aneurysm repair.

BACKGROUND: There is increasing awareness that women may have worse outcomes following repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). The aim of this study was to analyse the association between sex, age and in-hospital mortality after AAA using hospital episode data collected routinely at the nationwide level. METHODS: Data were extracted from the nationwide statutory Diagnosis Related Group statistics provided by the German Federal Statistical Office. Patients with a diagnosis of intact (non-ruptured) AAA (ICD-10 GM I71.4) and procedure codes (OPS; 2005-2013) for endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) (5-38a.1*) or open aneurysm repair (5-384.5, 5-384.7), treated from 2005 to 2013, were included. A multilevel multivariable regression model was applied to adjust for medical risk (using the Elixhauser co-morbidity score), type of procedure, type of admission, and to account for clustering of patients within centres. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: Some 84 631 patients were identified, of whom 10 039 (11·9 per cent) were women. Women were significantly older than men at admission (median 74 (i.q.r. 69-80) versus 72 (66-77) years; P < 0·001). EVAR was used less frequently in women (48·1 versus 54·7 per cent; P < 0·001). The in-hospital mortality rate was higher in women, overall (5·0 versus 3·1 per cent; relative risk 1·60, 95 per cent c.i. 1·45 to 1·75), and for EVAR (2·8 versus 1·5 per cent; RR 1·90, 1·60 to 2·30) and open repair (6·8 versus 5·0 per cent; RR 1·36, 1·22 to 1·52). In-hospital mortality increased with age and was highest in patients aged over 80 years. In multivariable regression analysis, female sex (RR 1·20, 1·07 to 1·35) and age per 10-year increase (RR 1·83, 1·73 to 1·95) were independent risk factors for higher in-hospital mortality. CONCLUSION: In Germany, women were older when undergoing AAA repair and were less likely to receive EVAR. Mortality rates were higher in older patients and in women, irrespective of the surgical technique used.

Imaging of 1-nm-thick films with 193-nm microscopy.

We have implemented a reflected-light microscope operating in the deep ultraviolet at 193 nm. Many materials absorb strongly at this wavelength, providing greatly enhanced contrast compared with visible and near-ultraviolet microscopes. Polymer films as thin as 1 nm and SiO(2) films as thin as 3 nm have been imaged with this nonoptimized instrument. We have also calculated image contrast for several thin-film materials that are important in semiconductor processing, and we show that 193-nm light provides 60-485x better contrast than visible light (500 nm) and 4-95x better contrast than near-ultraviolet light (315 nm) for these materials.